LASTING TREASURES
Matthew 6:19-21
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
INTRODUCTION
The biggest problem we face today is that our possessions tend to give us a false sense of security as if to say if we only had enough money or enough property, or enough furniture and clothing and jewelry – and did I mention shoes? – we would have it made.
However, we all know how quickly the things of this world – even those things we have devoted our whole lives to attaining – can be taken from us:
• Overnight, the stock market can wipe out a lifetime of investments;
• A failed company like Enron can deplete an entire pension fund;
• A hurricane or tornado can destroy a home and all its contents;
• A diagnosis of cancer can put an end to all the hopes and dreams you had for the future.
Matthew 6:19–21 contains Jesus' perspective on money and its place in the hearts of God's people. This flows directly from His teaching that inner thoughts and motivations are part of righteousness. God, and His will, are what matter, not other people's opinions. Here, Jesus tells the crowds not to stockpile temporary treasure on earth. Instead, they should be working towards godly goals—'' storing up'' rewards in heaven with choices driven by sincere devotion to God. Where we place our treasure indicates the absolute priority of our hearts. Those who live for worldly wealth live in inner darkness. Only one thing can be genuinely primary in a person's life. Each person must choose whether to serve God or their selfish interests.
In short, material possessions are temporary. Jesus points out that no one can build up enough wealth to guarantee—without risk—they will have their needs met forever. More importantly, as a typical English expression goes, "you cannot take it with you" (Luke 12:19–20).
COMMENTARY
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2) continues here. Jesus is emphasizing what it means to lead a righteous life on earth. Those hearing Him for the first time may have been surprised how different His message sounded compared to Israel's religious leaders. Most religious leaders in that era focused entirely on words and actions—on outward behaviors. Jesus has been teaching that what God cares about most and what ultimately determines righteousness are the motivations of a sincere heart. What we do and why we do it factor into God's approval (Matthew 6:1–2; 5–6; 16–17).
Now Jesus turns to focus on money and possessions. He tells His followers not to stockpile material goods in this life. He will soon clarify why this is such a dangerous practice (Matthew 6:24). He begins here by saying that money and possessions are not dependable. They are easily lost. Moths can eat clothing and other fabric—metal objects rust. Thieves skillfully identify the wealthy and break into homes to steal their goods. Disaster and chaos can take every material possession we have in an instant.
As with prior teachings, Jesus' meaning here is about the hearts and motivations of God's people. This does not mean Christians should never have any money or own property or that they cannot have a bank account. Paul will teach clearly that believers must provide for their families (1 Timothy 5:8), and wisdom demands some planning for even our temporary future on earth (Proverbs 6:6–8). Wealth is like any other blessing from God (1 Timothy 4:4) and can be used according to His purpose.
Dangerous is becoming dependent on worldly wealth—crossing the line into greed or materialism. Those heart questions are the issues Jesus will challenge in the following verses.
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Christ commanded His disciples and followers not to stockpile material possessions (Matthew 6:19) mindlessly. Every treasure stockpiled on earth, money, and objects are temporary. Having it comes with no guarantee of keeping it; it is not eternally reliable. Worldly goods can easily be lost to thieves and natural forces.
Now Jesus tells His followers to focus instead on stockpiling treasures in heaven. These rewards are eternal. They cannot be lost to moths, rust, thieves, or anything else. In financial terminology, they are a far better investment. Christ's meaning here is not that believers ought to have no possessions or money. So far, the central theme of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2) has been the priority of motivation. Our hearts and our sincerity towards God matter most of all, so having wealth is not a problem until we start to prioritize it over godliness.
How did Jesus mean for His followers to store up rewards in heaven? He has spoken a few times in this Sermon on the Mount of acts God will reward. These have included being persecuted for Jesus' sake (Matthew 5:11–12); giving to the needy in secret (Matthew 6:4), praying in secret (Matthew 6:6), and fasting without calling attention to oneself (Matthew 6:18). In short, God rewards His people when they lead lives of sincere devotion and worship to Him.
Rewards from God are more than just experiencing His favor in a moment of this life. Jesus has in mind something other than being allowed into heaven since salvation cannot be earned by "eternal treasures" (Titus 3:5; Romans 3:28; John 6:28–29). So, what are they? Scripture does not give us an explicit understanding. We know there "are" rewards, but Scripture does not explain them. Jesus likely meant His audience to presume that any eternal gift from God would be worth the investment of righteous living on earth.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Two sets of records reflect a person's priorities: checkbooks and appointment books; in other words, where a person spends their money and their time is proof of what they truly value. Saying "this is important to me" is hypocrisy if not backed up by how our lives are lived.
This well-known verse goes to the heart of Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2). Christ has taught that God cares most about what His people think and feel. Most people in Jesus' audience grew up believing what mattered most to God was performance: action, behavior, and words. The Pharisees were thought to be the most spiritual because they closely followed behaviors tied to rules, regulations, and traditions. Righteous actions matter but are truly righteous only when accompanied by a sincere heart (Matthew 6:1–2, 5–6, 16–17).
Jesus has also applied this perspective to money. He has taught us not to stockpile riches and possessions on earth. Those are temporary and easily lost. Instead, He has said, stockpile rewards in eternity by your steadfast, inner devotion to God (Matthew 6:19–20). His point is not that Christians cannot have wealth or that they should not own anything. Instead, He means that we can only have one ultimate priority (Matthew 6:24), which should be God.
Attitudes toward wealth matter because our hearts are owned by whatever we consider our "treasure." That proves to be the foundation of our thoughts, affection, and hopes. If we focus time, energy, and effort on building wealth for ourselves on earth, that wealth is what our hearts will focus on. If we focus on building rewards from God in heaven, our hearts will focus on the experience of enjoying that "treasure" forever. Rather than being motivated by temporary wealth, we will emphasize honoring God and His will.
Summary
Matthew 6:19–21 contains Jesus' perspective on money and its place in the hearts of God's people. This flows directly from His teaching that inner thoughts and motivations are part of righteousness. God, and His will, are what matter, not other people's opinions. Here, Jesus tells the crowds not to stockpile temporary treasure on earth. Instead, they should work towards godly goals— "storing up" rewards in heaven with choices driven by sincere devotion to God. Where we place our treasure indicates the absolute priority of our hearts. Those who live for worldly wealth live in inner darkness. Only one thing can be genuinely primary in a person's life. Each person must choose whether to serve God or their selfish interests.
